The Charlotte Hornets are entering their 32nd season in the National Basketball Association as the 2022-2023 preseason is approaching.
The NBA preseason is typically a time to give players a chance to regain their groove after being out of play for a few months. The preseason also allows new rookies to showcase their talent before their role diminishes as the regular season rolls in. Most notably, the preseason is for NBA coaches to figure out their rotation systems. It’s time for coaches to determine the dos and don’ts of running their teams this coming season.
The Charlotte Hornets made a lot of moves this offseason, acquiring a few new players for the roster, hiring a new head coach, and losing a few players. The preseason will be very intriguing to see how everyone’s chemistry meshes. The Charlotte Hornets will be playing in five games this preseason, three of which they will host and two on the road. Here is a preview of what to expect from the Hornets in these preseason games.
Preseason Schedule:
10/2: Charlotte Hornets @ Boston Celtics
10/5: Indiana Pacers @ Charlotte Hornets
10/7: Boston Celtics @ Charlotte Hornets (Greensboro, N.C.)
10/10: Washington Wizards @ Charlotte Hornets
10/12: Charlotte Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers
New Coach, New Look?
This past off-season involved the Charlotte Hornets firing James Borrego after being the head coach for four years. The Hornets decided to bring back former head coach Steve Clifford, who was the coach for five seasons before Borrego took over. Clifford is currently the Charlotte Hornets’ second-winningest coach in franchise history, with 196 wins.
With Clifford recently being named the head coach of the Hornets, it is expected the team will look very different at the start of the season. He is one of the few coaches who can turn a team’s defense around. Clifford is known as a defensive-minded coach, and he is known as a coach that enforces minimizing turnovers.
For instance, during Clifford’s career as a head coach, he’s never finished outside of the top five in the whole league when referring to turnovers committed by his team. Overall, it’ll be exciting to see the rollout of what Clifford has to offer as the Hornets’ head coach.
The New Players On The Block!
The Charlotte Hornets didn’t make a lot of off-season moves as far as acquiring new players, but they did obtain a talented center in this year‘s draft. The Hornets drafted Mark Williams with their 15th pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft.
Williams is a 7’2” and 242-pound center specializing in defending the rim and controlling the boards. Williams averaged almost 3 BPG throughout his sophomore season at Duke University, which was the best in the ACC. The presence of Williams on defense was noticeable, as you often saw defenders relying more on their outside shot when he was at the rim. Most notably, Williams led the league in defensive rating with 93.2. Overall, it’ll be intriguing to see how Coach Clifford utilizes Williams’ skills as an elite rim protector during the season. Williams will have a decent role this season, starting on the bench, and he could even eventually prevail as a starter.
The Hornets added another new player to the roster during this year’s draft with their 40th pick, Bryce McGowen. McGowen is a 6’6” shooting guard from Nebraska University. During McGowen’s time at Nebraska University, he averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds during his first year. McGowen‘s will likely not see much play time during the regular season because the Hornets already have a strong backcourt. It is expected he will see some playing time during the preseason. If he performs well, it could alter his role during the regular season. In conclusion, it will be intriguing to see his debut and role on the team even after the preseason.
Who Left the “Queen City”?
Adding a few players means a few will ultimately decide to leave the team. During the offseason, the Charlotte Hornets lost Vernon Carey Jr., Montrezl Harrell, and Ish Smith. These players mentioned did receive playing time, but they weren’t players that affected the outcome of Hornets games last season.
Miles Bridges is one of the few players that had a massive imprint on the result of the Hornets’ games last year, but he is currently facing three felony charges. He’s still on the roster for the Hornets, but if he ends up being guilty, he’ll more than likely be released. The loss of Bridges will be crucial to the Hornets, but the preseason allows them to figure out who’s taking his minutes. In conclusion, this preseason for the Charlotte Hornets will be very intriguing as the Hornets will look very different from last year’s roster.
Follow us on Twitter! Sign up for our Newsletter! Subscribe to our Youtube! Shop for Fantom Sports Industries Merch!